South Carolina president on oversigning: SEC doesn't want competitive disadvantage

DESTIN, Fla. -- The SEC wants to make sure if it passes new roster management proposals in football that the NCAA will follow, South Carolina President Harris Pastides said today.

The issue of oversigning has been a source of debate throughout the SEC spring meetings. SEC presidents and chancellors met for several hours today on a variety of issues and will vote Friday on oversigning proposals.

"We'd love the SEC to play a lead role in doing the right thing," Pastides said. "We would hope the NCAA would adopt whatever we would do. That's where our ADs and coaches are. They don't want us to be so far out in front that we're the only league that clamps down on that."

NCAA President Mark Emmert, who met with SEC presidents and chancellors today, said it's possible the league's position on oversigning could become national legislation.

"It's certainly an issue that's more important to the SEC right now than other conferences," Emmert said. "So if they come out with a good position, it may well be one that could become a national standard."

One point of contention is whether the SEC should cap annual signing classes at 25 between December and August. Two years ago, the SEC adopted a conference rule limiting the number of signees to 28 between the February signing date and May 31.

The SEC did it with the idea of also sponsoring its rule as national legislation, which got passed. Some coaches continued to find loopholes counting signees forward and backward on their scholarship limits.

"We certainly know that our football advocates would prefer there's a so-called level playing field," Pastides said. "I think the challenge is do we go first and hope (the nation) will follow? And what if we go first and they don't follow? Do we go back to 28? Nobody sees that happening."

According to SI.com, 27 schools across the country averaged at least 25 signees per year between 2005 and 2010. Eight of the 12 SEC schools made the list: Ole Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, LSU and South Carolina.

The breakdown of other conferences who averaged 25 signees or more: six from Conference USA (including UAB); five from the Big 12; three from the Pac-12; two from the Big East; and one each from the Sun Belt (Troy), MAC and ACC.

The Big Ten has essentially banned oversigning since 1956. Its schools are allowed three over the 85-man scholarship limit, not the 25 new scholarship players allowed to enroll each academic year.

Critics say oversigning can force players to be cut or leave recruits without a scholarship they were promised. Most SEC coaches say they need flexibility to manage rosters -- such as through delayed enrollment -- in part because they take academic chances on recruits.

Speaking before today's meeting, LSU Chancellor Michael Martin said he believes there are enough votes to "at least send a message" about the perils of oversigning.

"It may end up being we'll try all of this and watch it," Martin said. "But I think we have to set in place a policy that says when you sign a kid, the chance that he may be grayshirted is clear in his mind and in his parents' mind so they don't end up spending a summer on campus and then they're gone."

Martin said he would enter the meeting with an open mind to hear opinions from coaches and athletics directors.

"But I agree with (Florida President) Bernie Machen in that unless kids really understand going in grayshirting is a likelihood or a possibility, I don't think it's the way to treat them," Martin said. "So we have to come up with some kind of guidelines to prevent 38 or 37 signees like a year or two ago."

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt signed 37 players in 2009.

Speaking before the meeting, Machen continued to support changing rules associated with oversigning.

"It's about students and if we only had 10 scholarships to offer, you wouldn't offer it to 15 people," Machen said. "You'd offer it to 10 and then you wouldn't have anybody disappointed. It's about the students and trying to do in athletics what we do on the academic side. It's no more complicated than that."

Most SEC presidents declined to comment after today's meeting. Auburn President Jay Gogue said he would visit with Athletics Director Jay Jacobs tonight and declined to offer his position. Auburn coach Gene Chizik supports oversigning.

So does Alabama coach Nick Saban, who became one of the faces of the issue. Alabama President Robert Witt, hastily walking away from reporters today, said he is "still participating in the discussions" when asked about his position. Witt appeared to indicate he won't comment Friday, saying an appropriate spokesperson would talk.

"There was vigorous discussion and lengthy discussion," Pastides said of today's meeting. "I think you're going to see the presidents hunker down tonight with their athletic directors and come to a vote on that."